Werdum Signs Deal With Strikeforce

While Fabricio Werdum’s surprise confrontation with Alistair Overeem may have gone unplanned according to Strikeforce officials following Saturday night’s post-fight press conference for “Shamrock vs. Diaz”, it seems that the PRIDE and UFC veteran has made his relationship with the organization official anyway.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker confirmed Werdum as signed with the promotion during a recent interview with MMA FanHouse’s Michael David Smith.

Werdum was abruptly, and controversially, released from the UFC after being upset by Junior dos Santos at UFC 90 last October. Prior to the loss, Werdum had won two straight fights over former heavyweight contenders Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon Vera and was said to be in line for a future title shot, making his release all the more puzzling.

Regardless, Werdum remains one of the top heavyweights in the world and could soon find himself inside the cage against another in the former of one-time opponent Alistair Overeem, whom Werdum challenged at Saturday’s post-fight press conference for Strikeforce’s latest event.

“I am very happy with the opportunity to be [with] Strikeforce,” Werdum said. “It will be a real pleasure if the opportunity is to come and I can fight [Alistair]. We fought two years ago. If the opportunity comes, I will be very happy to have the fight.”

Werdum originally fought Overeem at a PRIDE event in May 2006, submitting him with a kimura in the second round. Coker has not revealed a timetable regarding Werdum’s debut fight with the organization and a potential June rematch with Overeem is not set in stone.